If you've bought the new game, you'll want to download the 3.2.29.27 patch from Matrix; you should apply this patch before you start a game.��

TOAW III is backward compatible with all existing scenarios; however, if you play a scenario not included on the new TOAW III CD, you need to "convert" it first.��That's easy to do:��just open the scenario with the TOAW III editor, and then save it....you can save it right over the old version, which you won't be needing anymore.

The conversion is important; you can open and play an older scenario without converting it, but there might be a few problems; the TOAW III editor fixes these automatically, when a scenario is loaded into it.��

Also, if you can't get an old scenario to load into the TOAW III editor, let me know, and I can help.��If it was created as or converted to a "small" scenario under prior versions, you'll have to convert it back to "large", because TOAW III abandons that clunky convention, now the only size is "large".��To convert those, you will need to load them into the COW 1.04 "small" editor, then save.��If you've removed COW 1.04 from your computer, someone like me can do it for you.��I think that at some point, TOAW III will be changed, so it can load those old scenarios directly.��

Similar issues arise for very old scenarios originally designed in TOAW I, II, or TWOTY.��They can all be "converted", but you need the original version (I, II or TWOTY, as the case may be) to convert them.��Again, I can help, as I have retained running copies of all old versions.

But I'll add a few comments of my own. For me, two of the improvements are major, the rest are "nice to have".

1. Scenario editors are no longer limited to 500 events in the event engine, they can go to 1,000. This is a huge improvement; for example, Daniel McBride is in the process of completely redoing Braunschweig, to take advantage of this.

2. The database is now editable, with the edited .eqp files importable into any scenario, by simply placing a folder in the correct directory. This is much more important that it seems at first glance; for example, it allowed the design of a company-level Market Garden, where the artillery ranges could be adjusted to the new scale....ie, 10, 15 or whatever hexes, rather than just two or three.

Of the many other changes, some of my favorites are the ability of the designer to limit the number of rounds of combat, to avoid early turn ends (truncated combat pulses); the new flanking rules; the greatly improved PO; and the ability to not only stop the combat replay, but even to play it back, one move at a time, to get a second look at what just flashed by.

Last but not least, the anti-cheat prevents infinite replays to obtain an ideal result, and has greatly improved the gaming experience for everyone! (Not to mention, the win/loss ratio for some of us!)

But I'll add a few comments of my own. For me, two of the improvements are major, the rest are "nice to have".

1. Scenario editors are no longer limited to 500 events in the event engine, they can go to 1,000. This is a huge improvement; for example, Daniel McBride is in the process of completely redoing Braunschweig, to take advantage of this.

2. The database is now editable, with the edited .eqp files importable into any scenario, by simply placing a folder in the correct directory. This is much more important that it seems at first glance; for example, it allowed the design of a company-level Market Garden, where the artillery ranges could be adjusted to the new scale....ie, 10, 15 or whatever hexes, rather than just two or three.

Of the many other changes, some of my favorites are the ability of the designer to limit the number of rounds of combat, to avoid early turn ends (truncated combat pulses); the new flanking rules; the greatly improved PO; and the ability to not only stop the combat replay, but even to play it back, one move at a time, to get a second look at what just flashed by.

Last but not least, the anti-cheat prevents infinite replays to obtain an ideal result, and has greatly improved the gaming experience for everyone! (Not to mention, the win/loss ratio for some of us!)

It's a great leap forward, much more than just one more patch.

Plus they are still working on updating TOAW III and ACOW 1.04 is as good as it's going to get.